He’s the man behind the YouTube hit, “Water and Poo,” and now he’s also the new chairman of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. In this episode of the Milking Parlor, we meet Will Gilmer, a third-generation dairy farmer from Alabama, whose operation milks about 230 holsteins. And when those chores aren’t enough, he’s racking up more than 14,000 (and counting) views of his clever ditty sung about what to do with the waste from his cows, as he spreads that nutrient management across his pastures.
And if all that isn’t enough, Gilmer maintains a Web site, www.gilmerdairyfarm.com, along with The Dairyman’s Blog, in an effort to reach out to the public about modern farming practices. Gilmer also is active on the micro-blogging Web site Twitter under @gilmerdairy.
You can hear more of Peoria farm broadcaster Meghan Grebner’s interview with Will in this episode of the Milking Parlor in the player below. And if you haven’t seen Will’s hit, “Water and Poo” (and even if you have seen it!) it’s available right here:
To subscribe to the Milking Parlor podcast, click here. Listen to or download this episode in the player below.
As dairy farmers, we know where milk comes from (our cows), but many consumers want to know more precise information, such as the plant that their milk was bottled. Brigham Young University senior, Trevor Fitzgerald, has created a Web site with the answers!
Fitzgerald did not grow up on a dairy farm, but says he was interested finding out where his food comes from.
The information on the site originated from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but Fitzgerald says it was being made available in a several-hundred page PDF document that was difficult to navigate. Hoping to make the information more accessible and easier to navigate for consumers, Fitzgerald built the Web site.
Consumers can now enter the code found on their dairy products, and the Web site lists where the product originated from.
Dairy products from milk and cheese to yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese are included.
Fitzgerald says traffic to the Web site has been growing rapidly.
Lawrence H. Wentzell Sr’s glass milk bottle collection is one that many would envy. The Massachusetts man collected almost 2,500 milk bottles, starting with bottles from his family’s dairy, S. H. Wentzell & Sons Pioneer Dairy. Mr. Wentzell’s family is searching for a collector or a museum interested in taking the collection. Click here for the entire story.
For years the stories were enough family history to satisfy Mr. Wentzell. But then, around the time he retired from one of his two jobs in the early 1990s, he thought it might be nice to find an actual tangible piece of that history and he began a search for milk bottles from the family’s dairy. He found some and learned that collecting milk bottles could become a passion-filled hobby.
He expanded his collection to include other bottles from the city and, before long, the area. And as is wont to happen with collectors of things, eventually he expanded again and started searching out bottles from around Massachusetts.
With the man who most loved the bottles gone, the Wentzell family has pondered what to do with the 2,500 or so specimens he’d lovingly collected. They checked with local historical societies and museums, and a collector did buy a few that he badly wanted. Still, it’s too large a collection for any one place to take.
“If we could keep some part of the collection together,” Mrs. Wentzell said, “I think he would want that. We don’t have to sell them. I just want to do the right thing.”
Mrs. Wentzell said she knows her husband had talked with a fellow collector about what would happen to their bottles should something happen to him, but she’s not sure they ever decided anything specific. Friends are helping her look for appropriate places to donate some of the collection, places where the bottles will be seen and appreciated, but it has not been easy.
Posted: February 26, 2010 at 5:12 pm
By News Editor
The History Channel will be highlighting Pennsylvania’s Marburger Farm Dairy and its famous buttermilk on the channel’s “Food Tech”. The episode will be broadcast on March 4 at 9:00 p.m. EST.
Food Tech host and self-proclaimed food connoisseur Bobby Bognar travels around the country breaking down exactly where and how food gets from the ground, farm or even factory all the way to the plate. Last year, for a segment on how buttermilk is made, he visited the Marburger Farm Dairy in Evans City.
“They were there for almost a whole day filming for a seven-minute segment on the hour-long show,” said sales representative Rita Marburger Reifenstein. “Instead of 15 minutes of fame, we have seven. We’re very excited.”
“A lot of people love their buttermilk. It’s a specialty item,” Ms. Reifenstein says on the show. “Older people remember it from their youth when grandma used to make it.”
Marburger Farm Dairy has been known for its buttermilk for well over 30 years, and in a recent competition was ranked in the top three in the U.S. The show doesn’t reveal any trade secrets, but Mr. Bognar tries his hand at milking a cow and adding the culture to the machinery that churns the milk.
Posted: February 25, 2010 at 8:17 pm
By News Editor
Do you avoid dairy products because you have concerns about lactose intolerance? You may be missing out on key nutrients in your diet! A panel of experts assembled by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) warns that dairy foods do not need to be excluded from your diet if you have lactose intolerance.
The NIH Consensus Development Conference on Lactose Intolerance and Health was convened to examine the latest research on lactose intolerance, strategies to manage the condition and the health outcomes of diets that exclude dairy foods. Lactose is the natural sugar in milk and some people lack sufficient amounts of an enzyme that is needed to comfortably digest lactose. After a thorough review of the scientific evidence, the Consensus Development Conference panel completed a draft consensus statement that is intended to correct some of the common misperceptions about lactose intolerance, including the belief that dairy foods need to be excluded from the diet.
Without lowfat and fat free milk and milk products in the diet, it’s hard to meet nutrient needs, and available research suggests people with lactose intolerance can tolerate at least 12 grams of lactose (the amount in about one cup of milk) with no or minor symptoms. Plus, gradually re-introducing dairy into the diet can help manage symptoms and help those diagnosed benefit from dairy’s unique nutrient package, including calcium, vitamin D, protein, potassium and other nutrients that are critical for bone health and beyond.
Experts also suggest drinking lowfat or fat free milk (regular or flavored) with meals or a snack instead of an empty stomach, trying small, frequent portions or buying lactose-free or lactose-reduced milk – which contain all the same nutrients as regular milk. Yogurt and hard cheeses (the panel suggests cheddar, provolone and mozzarella) may also be more easily digested.
Conducted by the National Institutes of Health since 1977, the Consensus Development Program is an unbiased, independent, evidence-based assessment of complex medical issues. The purpose is to evaluate the available scientific evidence on a medical topic and develop a statement that will advance the understanding of the issue and help guide the advice given by health professionals and directed to the public.
Lactose intolerance is a topic that is frequently misunderstood, according to Dr. Robert P. Heaney, a prominent researcher at Creighton University who presented findings to the panel on the health outcomes of dairy exclusion diets.
“With modern diets, eliminating dairy from the diet – for any reason whatsoever – will result in poor nutrition with long-term consequences for health,” said Heaney.
Source: National Dairy Council and Milk Processor Eduction Program (MilkPEP).
Posted: February 11, 2010 at 5:36 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Nicole Schaendorf, 2009 Senior Michigan Dairy Ambassador, shared her experiences of her study abroad trip to Australia in her presentation during the Partners’ Program at GLRDC titled, “Dairy Down Under: Comparing the U.S. and Australian Dairy Industries.” Here are a few facts that I thought would be of interest to World Dairy Diary readers:
When comparing the U.S. to Australia, dairy contributes $31 billion to the U.S. economy, while Australia dairy producers contributes only $3.3 billion to their economy.
77% of dairy farms in the U.S. have fewer than 100 cows, while the average size of the Australian dairy farm is 214 cows.
There are 60,000 dairy farms in the U.S., with 99% being family owned. There are only 7,950 farms in Australia, down 50% from 25 years ago.
Just some interesting tid bits from down under, mate. I hope you enjoyed it!
Posted: February 11, 2010 at 5:24 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Dr. Adam Lock, assistant professor of animal science at Michigan State University, presented at the 2010 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference. His speech was titled, “Separating Fats from Fiction: Unraveling the Truth Behind the Effects of Milk and MIlk Fat on Human Health.” Read my favorite quotes from Dr. Lock below.
“The concept of eating healthy has become synonymous with avoiding dietary fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat.”
“No one has ever died of high cholesterol, it’s heart disease. That fact that saturated fat increases cholesterol is too simple. It raises the good and bad equally. Saturated fat is only one of 270 factors that influence heart disease.”
“All milk should be promoted as a healthy part of the diet. Milk is a functional food. Many bioactive factors in milk have beneficial effects on human health.”
“We need to educate nutritionists, dieticians and the general public on the essential importance of fat in the diet.”
Posted: February 5, 2010 at 6:24 pm
By News Editor
A video showing how to properly open milk in a bag has gone viral! Americans – tell us what you think, milk in bags: weird or smart?
In the video, Sheryl Ng lays out a bag of 2%, a jug and a pair of scissors. She runs through the milk drinker’s skillset: the proper triangular cut, the cautious first pour, preventive measures to keep an overfull bag from collapsing. Collectively, the viewing world outside Ontario leaned back in its seat and said, “What the hell is that?”
Apparently not. Ontario, the world has seen your milk drinking habits, and the world now thinks you’re a weirdo. Ng posted her milk-drinking video as a way of illustrating the differences between Canadians and Americans. They drink milk out of jugs. We drink it out of bags. She titled the whimsical instructional, “Milk in bags, eh?”
Bagged milk also hits an impassable imaginary wall at the 49th parallel. Almost uniformly, Americans are jug/carton people. Wisconsinites, people who know something about dairy, buck that trend. Among other forward-thinking nations that have warmed up to the plastic udder — South Africans, Argentines, Hungarians and Chinese. Those latter also bag beer, which means we have some catching up to do. The Soviets used milk bags, though central Europeans rushed to embrace the carton once the Wall came down. For ten shekels, Israelis can buy a Kankomat — a bag-holder that includes its own cutting device.
Posted: January 19, 2010 at 1:42 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Be sure to get your applications in for the Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment Program through USDA. The deadline is today to get the applications in, so if you were planning on applying, don’t miss your chance. Here is a bit of information on the program from Julie Sherwood, staff writer
of the Messenger Post.
The application deadline is today for the new Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment Program announced in December by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Dairy producers who have production records at their USDA Farm Service Agency county office because they participated in another FSA dairy program do not need to apply for the program. FSA will use existing production records for February through July 2009 to calculate and issue their payment, according to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
On average, the price dairy producers received for milk marketed in the summer of 2009 was about half what it cost them to produce the milk, according to USDA. About $290 million in emergency aid was approved for dairy farmers nationwide.
Robbie Dingeman with USA Today recently reported on a dairy farm that is pampering their cows with water beds. Water beds? Is this for real? In an attempt to treat their cattle better and promote increased milk production, a Hawaiian-based dairy farm is testing out their theory of water beds for their cows and are discovering amazing results. Read the excerpt below and tell me your thoughts. Water beds for cows? Ridiculous or smart?
Water beds for cows. That may sound like a fanciful title for a novel but it describes the latest investment of a Hawaii farm pumping out fresh locally produced milk. Island Dairy owner Bahman Sadeghi explains it this way: “Happy, healthy cows produce more milk.”
So, “a cow that is not at peak health and is in stress is not going to produce as much milk as a comfortable relaxed cow.”
And that’s where the plan for a new 320-cow barn full of waterbeds comes in. The company said the pampered cow approach has produced measurable results.They cited reports that cows with waterbeds installed in their barns are producing 10% to 20% more milk.
Posted: December 31, 2009 at 4:51 pm
By News Editor
Here’s some good news for dairy farmers New Year: milk prices are starting to rise.
The December all-milk price, according to the USDA, is $16.30 per hundredweight. That is up 44 percent from the lows registered this past summer. USDA used the $16.30 figure to compute the milk-feed ratio released in Wednesday’s “Agricultural Prices” report.
Here are the all-milk prices for 2009:
Jan. $13.30
Feb. $11.60
March $11.80
April $11.90
May $11.60
June $11.30
July $11.30
Aug. $12.00
Sept. $12.90
Oct. $14.20
Nov. $15.30
Dec. $16.30*
*Preliminary
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 5:25 pm
By Amanda Nolz
As reported by the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D., AgUnited For South Dakota is reacting to a PETA protest in Rapid City, after the group dumped gallons of milk in the trash last week. Cheers to AgUnited for standing up and speaking out on behalf of America’s dairy farmers and in promoting milk as a healthy part of a well-balanced diet!
A week after an animal rights group protested the state’s dairy industry, farm organizations and farm families are making their own statement by donating 1,000 gallons of milk to Community Food Banks of South Dakota. The donations come in response to a Nov. 25 protest by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that involved a person dressed in a cow outfit dumping gallons of milk into a trash can in downtown Rapid City. Ag United contributed half of the 1,000 gallons that will be distributed to families across the state.
According to the AgUnited website, “We are very happy with the out pouring of generosity from South Dakotans,” said Steve Dick, Executive Director of Ag United. “South Dakota producers care about their livestock as well as their neighbors and communities they live in,” said Dick.
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 10:53 am
By Amanda Nolz
Some schools and activist groups are looking to remove lowfat chocolate milk from cafeterias, but this actually could do more nutritional harm than good, says a new effort, Raise Your Hand For Chocolate Milk! Chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools and kids will drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if it’s taken away. This website is working to educate schools and families about the importance of milk in the diet. Here are the five listed reasons why milk rocks! This campaign is being sponsored by the National Dairy Council and Got Milk? I’m raising my hand for chocolate milk! Are you?
1. Milk provides nutrients essential for good health and kids will drink more when it’s flavored.
2. Flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk and is a healthful alternative to soft drinks.
3. Drinking lowfat or fat free white or flavored milk helps kids get the 3 daily servings of milk recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and provides three of the five “nutrients of concern” that children do not get enough of – calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as vitamin D.
4. Children who drink flavored milk meet more of their nutrient needs; do not consume more added sugar, fat or calories; and are not heavier than non-milk drinkers.
5. Lowfat chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools and kids drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if it’s taken away.
Posted: December 4, 2009 at 5:03 pm
By Amanda Nolz
Wow, what a positive message about dairy as a healthy part of a well-balanced diet! As shared by WLWT News in Omaha, Neb., athletes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are now downing chocolate milk after practice, and they are liking the taste and the results they are getting from that glass of power and strength. What a great story! Check it out!
The strength coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha has switched his athletes to chocolate milk from sports drinks, a move supported by mounting research that shows the childhood standby drink provides superior muscle recovery, KETV in Omaha reported. With its protein and sugar content, chocolate milk has been shown to rebuild muscles and replenish the body after strenuous workouts. In the past, UNO athletes have chugged pricey, carbohydrate-packed drinks after workouts. Now, Roberts Dairy supplies 1,600 cartons of chocolate milk a week at a low price.
“It’s good for your stomach, it’s good for your bones and it tastes good. I like it,” said UNO track and field athlete Madison Haugland.
Posted: November 25, 2009 at 9:37 am
By Amanda Nolz
I’m really excited about this new mini-documentary series that was recently launched by the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). In 15 videos, which can be viewed here, dairy producers share their stories, their hopes and dreams, their struggles and the one thing they all have in common, pride. Check it out!
To give consumers a clearer understanding of where dairy products come from and showcase the people who produce them, the CMAB developed 15 “mini-documentaries” profiling dairy families throughout the state. The series also includes two companion pieces – one highlighting sustainability practices and the other on cow comfort.
From 14-year-old Tyler Regli’s goal of becoming a fifth-generation dairy producer to Johan Bartelink’s love of hosting educational school tours and Bob Giacomini’s dream of turning his milk into farmstead cheese, these documentaries demonstrate the diversity behind the state’s dairy industry – an industry responsible for producing more than 41 billion pounds of milk and creating approximately 435,000 jobs each year.
“These documentaries will help consumers connect with the California dairy families that put the food on their tables and create a better understanding of the standards and practices in place on today’s modern dairy operations,” said CMAB’s Vice President of Advertising, Michael Freeman. “While the Happy Cows “Auditions” ad campaign continues to be our primary tool in driving awareness and purchase intent, these documentaries allow us to tell a deeper story and engage consumers in a way no 30-second ad could.”
Posted: November 25, 2009 at 5:43 am
By Amanda Nolz
Molly Line at Fox News recently posted a report on a new brand of organic milk called MooMilk. MooMilk will be sold in Maine and New Hampshire to start but, the farmers hope to eventually distribute throughout New England. Check it out!
In the midst of a crisis hitting the nation’s dairy industry a group of organic farmers in Maine, dropped by their big distributor, are joining together to create their own brand and save their family businesses. Mark McKusick, a fourth generation dairy farmer out of Dexter, Maine signed on to the ambitious effort.
“We’re gonna give the consumer, the real organic consumer, the real product. It’s fresh, it’s local and we’re going to strive on quality and taste,” McKusick said. “The best part of this is we’ve got control over our product.”
Dubbed MooMilk- short for Maine’s Own Organic Milk- the new brand will hit store shelves by mid-December. Ten farms have signed on to the start-up operation along with a local processor and a distributor.
Posted: November 13, 2009 at 9:10 pm
By News Editor
Who loves chocolate milk? Raise your hands!
Did you know that chocolate milk is a healthy and delicious drink filled with nine essential nutrients, including calcium? Did you also know that lowfat chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools? This power drink needs you to stand up and sign the “Raise Your Hand For Chocolate Milk” petition to help ensure it stays on school menus nationwide! (Just enter your state on the widget to the right and click “Sign the Petition”)
You can also help spread the message with social networking tools available on the campaign’s website – get those hands in the air and help save chocolate milk!
In attempts to improve the nutritional quality of school meals, some schools and lunch advocates are calling for a change that many health professionals agree could cause more harm than good when it comes to children’s health: removing lowfat chocolate milk from the lunch line.
The nation’s leading health and nutrition organizations recognize the valuable role that milk, including lowfat flavored milk, can play in meeting daily nutrient needs. The nation’s milk processors (through the Milk Processor Education Program) and dairy farmers (through the National Dairy Council) have teamed up to provide the latest facts and science on Chocolate Milk’s role in children’s diets.
Posted: November 4, 2009 at 7:59 am
By Amanda Nolz
Here is an interesting look at automatic milking and its effectiveness. Charolotte Johnston with TheCattleSite evaluates the benefits of automatic milkers through four different interviews with producers Tim Gibson, Doug Heintz, John Wolf and Max Warren. This is an interesting look at dairy technology and equipment. Titled, Automatic Milking: How Effective Is It? this article is an interesting read that addresses any concerns producers and consumers might have about these machines. Read on to learn more…
A common myth regarding automatic milking machines is that they disengage the herdsman from the animals, and so neglect herd health.
If this were true, the new Lely Astronaut A3 Next would not have won the 2009 Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers’ Livestock and Machinery Award at this year’s Dairy Event. The award was presented on the grounds of economics, the welfare and close management of milking animals, the reduction of drudgery for family and employed staff, flexibility since it applies to family run and larger units, and the longer-term needs of the dairy industry.
Posted: November 3, 2009 at 3:12 pm
By News Editor
A new study recently released by Nutrition Today suggests that the prevalence of lactose intolerance may be far lower than previously estimated.
The study, which uses data from a national sample of three ethnic groups, reveals that the overall prevalence rate of self-reported lactose intolerance is 12 percent – with 7.72 percent of European Americans, 10.05 percent of Hispanic Americans and 19.5 percent of African Americans who consider themselves lactose intolerant.
These new findings indicate that previous estimates of lactose intolerance incidence – based on the incidence of lactose maldigestion – may be overestimated by wide margins. Previous studies have found lactose maldigestion, or low lactase activity in the gut, to occur in approximately 15 percent of European Americans, 50 percent of Mexican Americans and 80 percent of African Americans.(2,3,4) The new study shows that lactose intolerance, based on self-reported data, may actually occur far less frequently than presumed.
“There’s so much confusion surrounding lactose intolerance,” said Theresa Nicklas, DrPH, of the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine and lead study author. “By getting a better handle on the true number of people who deal with this condition every day, the nutrition community can be better equipped to educate and provide dietary guidance for Americans, including strategies to help meet dairy food recommendations for those who self-report lactose intolerance.”
Study: Nicklas TA, Qu H, Hughes SO. Prevalence of self-reported lactose intolerance in a multi-ethnic sample of adults. Nutrition Today 2009; 44(5):186-187
Posted: October 26, 2009 at 5:15 pm
By News Editor
The Wisconsin Dairy Council has introduced a new website and promotion called “iRock with Milk”, an exciting opportunity for local Wisconsin school districts to learn more about including milk in a healthy diet.
The Council is working with Wisconsin school foodservice to coordinate a statewide in-school milk promotion to remind all students that drinking milk with meals really “rocks.” The “iRock with Milk” promotion features 2nd Thought Band, a classic rock group of high school students from Whitefish Bay, Wis. A special contest for middle schools throughout Wisconsin will award seven schools with a concert by the band and the opportunity to celebrate milk as a healthy beverage choice. Over 1,200 cafeteria promotion kits will be distributed for this school year to Wisconsin schools.
As part of the promotion, students can visit the newly created website to download 2nd Thought songs, make music videos and enter to win prizes. On the site, visitors can make their own “moo-sic” video with the “Keys to Healthy Living” video creator. And they can enter for a chance to win an iPod nano®, an iPod shuffle® or an iTunes® gift card.
He’s the man behind the YouTube hit, “Water and Poo,” and now he’s also the new chairman of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. In this episode of the Milking Parlor, we meet Will Gilmer, a third-generation dairy farmer from Alabama, whose operation milks about 230 holsteins. And when those chores aren’t enough, he’s racking up more than 14,000 (and counting) views of his clever ditty sung about what to do with the waste from his cows, as he spreads that nutrient management across his pastures.
Nicole Schaendorf, 2009 Senior Michigan Dairy Ambassador, shared her experiences of her study abroad trip to Australia in her presentation during the Partners’ Program at GLRDC titled, “Dairy Down Under: Comparing the U.S. and Australian Dairy Industries.” Here are a few facts that I thought would be of interest to World Dairy Diary readers:
Dr. Adam Lock, assistant professor of animal science at Michigan State University, presented at the 2010 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference. His speech was titled, “Separating Fats from Fiction: Unraveling the Truth Behind the Effects of Milk and MIlk Fat on Human Health.” Read my favorite quotes from Dr. Lock below.
Be sure to get your applications in for the Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment Program through USDA. The deadline is today to get the applications in, so if you were planning on applying, don’t miss your chance. Here is a 
Robbie Dingeman with 
As reported by the 
Some schools and activist groups are looking to remove lowfat chocolate milk from cafeterias, but this actually could do more nutritional harm than good, says a new effort,
I’m really excited about this new mini-documentary series that was recently launched by the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). In 15 videos, which can be viewed 
Molly Line at 
Here is an interesting look at automatic milking and its effectiveness. Charolotte Johnston with TheCattleSite evaluates the benefits of automatic milkers through four different interviews with producers Tim Gibson, Doug Heintz, John Wolf and Max Warren. This is an interesting look at dairy technology and equipment. Titled, 
A new study recently released by 
The 
A special contest for middle schools throughout Wisconsin will award seven schools with a concert by the band and the opportunity to celebrate milk as a healthy beverage choice. Over 1,200 cafeteria promotion kits will be distributed for this school year to Wisconsin schools.